Tetanus
Tetanus is a disorder caused by infection with a bacterium called Clostridium Tetani. This is present in soil, and it enters the body when dirt contaminates wounds (which need not be deep or major. The disease has affected gardeners who have simply been pricked by rose thorns). The bacterium is anaerobic, which means that it grows in the absence of oxygen. It secretes a toxin which blocks connections in the nervous system which usually suppress muscle contraction. The muscles go into spasm, with those that work on the jaw often being the first affected, which is why the condition is called lockjaw. It can be prevented by vaccination, which is routinely given in infancy and which needs to be boosted at intervals. Those who have not been immunised or whose immunity has not been boosted by repeated vaccination within 10 years of a penetrating wound may need to be given anti toxin if they are injured. Those who develop tetanus need intensive treatment. They also need to be vaccinated after they recover, because this is one condition that does not confer its own immunity on those who suffer it.
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